Under the Gun (1950)

February 23, 1951

THE SCREEN IN REVIEW; 'Under the Gun,' 'No Orchids for Miss Blandish' and 'Mrs. O'Malley and Mr. Malone' in Premieres

By BOSLEY CROWTHER

Published: February 23, 1951

It is open season on humans in the film called "Under the Gun," which seems to have forced its way boldly into the Criterion yesterday. In the first place, the truculent hero, a New York big shot in the South, shoots and kills a local character who is obviously gunning for him. Sent to a prison farm for this indulgence, the hero takes quick note of the fact that "trustees" are put on guard over the other prisoners and that any "trusty" who shoots a prisoner in the act of trying to escape is set free. (This is a delightful penal custom of which this corner had never heard.)

Anyhow, the cold-blooded hero immediately aspires to the privileged role of "trusty," so he urges a fellow convict to make a break, which gives the incumbent "trusty" a fair shot. Result: the hero gets the job. No sooner has he got it than he looks for likely game and finds it in another poor inmate who has a starving wife and kiddies outside. A bribe of $25,000 sends this fellow scurrying for the woods and the hero puts the gun on him. Three dead—and the hero is released.

Outside, however, the hero still has to confront his nemesis in the form of an unrelenting sheriff who discovers the bribe stratagem. So the hero heads for the border with the sheriff in hot pursuit, and in the course of the chase two henchmen and the hero are killed. Six dead. The end.

We might remark that the staging in the sandy pine country of a southern state is notably superior in this thriller which Universal-International has produced. We might also note that the acting of Richard Conte in the principal role and of Sam Jaffe, Royal Dano, Richard Taber and John McIntire is good. But we can't for the life of us figure any reason for such an aimless tale, except to indulge in bleak sadism. The marksmanship is infinitely better than the film.